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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	faith_n	rule_n	scripture_n	8,359	5	6.9151	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43256	The touch-stone of the reformed gospel wherein the principal heads and tenents of the Protestant doctrine (objected against Catholicks) are briefly refuted. By the express texts of the Protestants own Bible, set forth and approved by the Church of England. With the ancient fathers judgements thereon, in confirmation of the Catholick doctrine.	Heigham, John, fl. 1639.; Kellison, Matthew, attributed name.	1676 (1676)	Wing H1370E; ESTC R216621	50,365	158

THE TOUCH-STONE OF THE Reformed Gospel Wherein The principal Heads and Tenents of the Protestant Doctrine objected against Catholicks are briefly refuted By the express Texts of the Protestants own Bible set forth and approved by the Church of England With the ancient Fathers judgements thereon in confirmation of the Catholick Doctrine The last Edition exactly Corrected Luke 19.22 Out of thy own mouth will I judge thee Permissu Superiorum Printed in the Year 1676. To the Catholick READER Health and incouragement in his Holy Faith Courteous READER BEfore thou peruse this little Book I would intreat thee to read these ensuing Points which are very necessary for thy better instruction 1. The first is that in the Text of Scripture alledged throughout this Treatise it is not specified out of which English Bible the said passages are extracted for as much as this were over ●roublesome unto thee since England ●ath set forth within these few years ●ast a great number of several sorts ●f Bibles far different one from ano●her So that our Adversaries to ●hom I wish from my heart as I do 〈◊〉 thee that this little Book may prove profitable have not all one sor● of Bibles themselves Notwithstanding know for certain that they are a faithfully taken out of the Bibles i●quarto and Octavo printed at London by Robert Barker anno 1615. S●● as if by chance any one shall shew the some other Bible wherein they are n●● set down word for word as here the are yet rest assured that thou sha●● find them so written and faithful● cited out of the foresaid Edition Robert Barker set forth by his M●jesties special commandement 2. The second is That thou a mire the splendor of Truth which such and so refulgent that notwit●standing our Adversaries main a serious endeavours to obscure 〈◊〉 same by so many varieties of Tra●slations and by such a number of gr●●● corruptions and falsifications yet th● condemnation is so expresly set do● in this their own Bible and is so cl●● to all the world that nothing else needfull hereto but that thou know read and have thine eyes to behold same at the opening of this their Book This cannot chuse but be an exceeding ●omfort to Catholicks concerning the ●prightness of their cause to offer ●hemselves to be tryed and to confound ●heir advers●ries by their own Bible ●he translation whereof notwithstanding d●th in a number of places and ●articularly in many of those that are ●n question swerve and differ notoriously from the authentical Latin ●nd to the incredible disparagement ●nd obscuring of the Catholick cause Never did yet nor I presume dare our Adversaries offer to give the like ad●antage unto us as to stand to be tried ●●y our Translations and that in above ●●fty Heads and Points of Doctrine ●hat are this day in controversy be●ween us 3. The third is That when thou ●alt urge or alledge any passage ●●n ●avour of thine own faith and doctrine ●f any one return their charge be it ei●her by way of recrimination blam●ng of the Roman Church or by al●dging some obscure texts and those ill understood to counterpoyze such as are brought by thee do thou shew them amiably that this is not to proceed in due order nor to deal with thee as they ought in opposing a passage dark and obscure to confound another that i● most clear and evident For example when we set before their eyes these few words as clear as the Sun at noone day Take eat this is my body this is my bloud which shall be shed for you c. Mark 14.25 they will straight suppose to have found another importan● place yea and to have given us th● overthrow if they presently reply tha● our Saviour saith in S. John 6.63 The flesh profiteth nothing the word that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life a passage far mor● obscure than that which is in question and which affirmes nothing less tha● that which they pretend to prove there by For how absur'd were it to say tha● the flesh of Christ profiteth nothing And if as they themselves say w●● must interpret one passage by another thou doubtlesse it is better to explicat● an obscure one by one that is clear than one that is clear by a passage obscure and that one Text give place to many rather than many to one 4. The fourth is That if they shall reject any of the passages which thou producest pretending the same to be Apocryphal know that to prevent this objection no such Scriptures as they call Apocryphal are here produced alone but that alwayes there go accompanied with them others that are Canonical even by their own confession And so far as Apocryphal Scriptures shall and do agree with Canonical they themselves by their own Rule are bound to receive them Which will also stop their mouth in their common pretence of Conference of places for rarely hast thou here less then three or four several passages cited at large besides references for the proof of every several Point All our Adversaries put together being never able in their defence to do the like that is to produce so many in number so expresse and clear and for so great a number of Controversies as are here disputed and couched in so little a Treatise 5. The fifth is that if they shall contend with thee not about the words themselves as being clear but about the sense and meaning of them for such places I say as may be subject to this cavil thou shalt forthwith have recourse unto that which the Scriptures call the Rule of faith that is to the ever-constant and uniform Judgment of the Church and Ancient Fathers who in every Age since Christ have understood the point in question in that sense which Catholicks do An example whereof thou maist lay down before them out of that learned Treatise intituled A Manuel of Controversies debating the question of the Blessed Sacrament Which having done bid them do the like and thou wilt yield unto them a thing which they can never peform So as no man of reason will reject this Rule grounded so clearly in holy Scripture and prefer the private interpretation of some silly Cobler before S. Chrysostom of a Baker before S. Basil of some Tinker before Tertullian or of any Novelist whatsoever before the judgement of the the Church and the whole stream of the Holy Fathers This point therefore being so important shall be the first which I will fortifie and prove by the word of God in this present Treatise I mean this Rule and therefore in no wise forget alwayes to involve thine Adversary within this Rule as often as he shall prove so unruly and thou shalt be sure to get the victory The sixth and last point is That I here protest in the presence of God whom I call to witness in this behalf and pray thee also to call upon for the salvation and reduction of all those that walk

astray that it is not in the power of any one no not of all our Adversaries that are in England to find in their own Bible one onely expresse Text I say one onely in their own Bible by which they can possibly prove one onely point of their false Doctrine● without their usual art of adding diminishing chopping or changing it by some interpretation or other which yet should be to alter the Text it self and to employ mans fancy instead of the pure word a thing by their own confession flatly forbidden them protesting that the Word of God doth in such sort contain all that which is necessary to salvation that it is not lawful neither for men nor Angels to add diminish or alter any part thereof and commanding their followers and adherents utterly to renounce all Antiquity Custom Multitude humane wisdom Judgment Decrees Edicts Counsels Visions yea and Miracles themselves to the contrary THE TOUCH-STONE Of the REFORMED GOSPEL The Protestants affirm I. That there is not in the Church one and that an infallible Rule for understanding the Holy Scriptures and conserving of Vnity in matters of Faith COntrary to the express words of their own Bible Rom. 12.6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us whether Prophecy that is interpretation according to the proportion or Rule of faith Whence we gather that Prophecy according to the Rule of faith is one of the gifts which God bestoweth on his Church Therefore there is in the Church one and that an infallible Rule to understand the holy Scriptures by Philip 3.16 Nevertheless whereto we have already attained Let us walk by the same rule let us mind the same thing Lo how plainly the Apostle speaks in this second place of a certain Rule to walk by clearly presupposing that in matters of faith we can never be of the same minde unlesse we walk by the same Rule Gal. 6.16 And as many as walk according to this Rule peace be on them and mercy And 2. Cor. 10.15 Having hope when your faith is increased that we shall be enlarged by you according to our Rule abundantly to preach the Gosple in the Regions beyond you and not to boast in another mans line Here again because every man is to direct and order his belief according to the doctrine of the Church therefore it is called by S. Paul both the Rule Line of our holy faith Again 1 Cor. 11.16 But if any man seem to be contentious we have no such Custome nor the Churches of God Lo how S. Paul still pleads the Rule and Custom of the Church against the contentious which if it could then by the sole prescription of twenty or thirty years and by the authority of so few Pastors stop the mouthes of new Sect-masters what ought not the Custome of sixteen hundred years and the decrees of so many hundred Pastors gain of reasonable modest and humble men And here I would have it to be noted that this Analogy or Rule of faith besides the titles already recited the holy Scripture in other places calls by the name of Form of Doctrine Rom. 6.17 A thing made ready to our hand 2. Cor. 10.16 The Depositum or Treasure committed to the Churches trust and ever most carefully to be kept by her 1. Tim. 6.20 And withall in the very self same places always stileth that which is contrary to this Rule by the name of Disunion Discord Disobedience forsaking of our first Vocation Division Contention Prophane and vain babling Opposition of sciences c. Whence plainly appear how great the necessity is for every Christian to keep this Rule the least breach whereof doth presently crack his Christian credit with the Church of God and with all good Christians See more Rom. 6.17 Gal. 1.6 Rom. 16.17 Acts 15 2. 1. Tim. 6.10 Rom. 12.16 ¶ According to this very Rule the Ancient Fathers affirm the same S. Irenaus l. 4. Cap. 45. Tert. de praesor And Vincent Lyr. in suo Commonitorio saith It is very needfull in regard of so many errors proceeding from the mis-interpretation of Scriptures that the Line of Propheticall and Apostolical exposition should be directed according to the Rule of the Ecclesiastical and Catholick sense Thus writeth this most worthy witnesse Tertul● Praescrip Adv. Haeres Cap. 15 Cap. 19. Saith We do not admit our Adversaries to dispute out of Scripture till they can shew who their Ancestors were and from whom they received the Scriptures For the orderly course of doctrine requires that the first Question be whose the Scriptures are by right from whom and by whom and to whom the Form of Christian Religion was delivered Otherwise prescribing against him as a stranger c. Thus he Behold how these two last ancient Fathers lay hold of and urge these two very terms Rule and Form of Faith and Religion even as before the Holy Scripture did from whence doubtlesse they took the phrase And with very great reason for the knowledge of Tradition which is the Form or Rule goes before the knowledge of the Scripture for the Rule must be first known before the thing ruled can be assuredly known as the Carpenter cannot know certainly that he hath ●●easured his timber nor the Taylor ●hat he hath measured his cloth aright except he first assuredly know that is measure be both true and right but ●he Rule of Faith to wit the Summe ●f those points that every Christian is bound expresly to know as delivered to him from hand to hand is the knowledge of Tradition The Protestants affirm II. That in matters of Faith we must not rely upon the Judgement of the Church and of her Pastors but onely upon the written Word COntrary to the expresse words o● their own Bible Mat. 23.2 Th● Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Mose● seat all therefore whatsoever they bi● you observe that observe and do I● which words Christ not only commands us in matters of Faith to have recourse to somewhat else besides th● onely written words to wit to the Pastors of the Church but bids more over to obey them and that not onely in some principal matters but in al● whatsoever without distinction o●●● limitation Therefore in matters o●●● faith we are not tied to rely onel● upon the written word Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that dispiseth me dispiseth him that sent me Here again Christ our Lord honoureth and giveth as much authority to the Preachers of the Word as he can possibly do to the word it self saying He that heareth you c. Matth 16.19 Whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose in earth shall be loosed in heaven Where it is to be noted that he doth not say whosoever but whatsoever giving us thereby to understand that not onely the bonds of sins but as ●ell all other knots and difficulties in ●atters of faith

one Christian to another as S. Aug. witnesseth ep 31.34.35.36 Mat. 23.17 Ye fools and blind whether is greater the gold or the temple that sanctifieth the gold Mat. 23.19 Ye fools and blind whether is greater the gift or the Altar that sanctifieth the gift Lo how plainly our Lord affirmeth in both these places that the Temple sanctifieth the Gold and the Altar the Gift and generally all creatures severed from common and profane use to religion and worship of God are thereby made sacred and holy Are not they therefore much to be blamed who keep such a scoffing at Holy water Holy ashes and the like See more 2 Reg. 2. we 4.2 where the Prophet Eliseus applied salt to the healing and purifying of the waters Toby 6.8 where the Angel Raphael used the Liver of a Fish to drive away the Devil 1 Samuel we 1 Kings 16. Where Davids Harp and Psalmody keep the evil spirit away from Saul ¶ See S. Greg. l. 1. dial cap. 4. S. Aug. lib. 18. de civit Dei S. Hier. in the the life of Hilarion post medium S. Bede lib. 1. cap. 30. hist Angliae XXXVII That children may be saved by their Parents faith without the Sacrament of holy Baptism COntrary to the expresse words both of truth it self and also of their own Bible Joh. 3.5 Verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Therefore they cannot be saved without Baptism Tit. 3.5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Marc. 16.16 He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Seeing Infants therefore cannot believe they must at the last be baptized or else they cannot be saved Here they will object against us that of S. Paul 1 Cor. 7.14 That the children of the faithful are sanctified But if they understand by their sanctification that they are born without sin they do directly oppugne S. Paul who affirmeth Eph. 1. that we are all born the Sons of wrath Yea S. Paul in the self-same place saith that the unbelieving Women is sanctified by the believing Man and yet I hope they will not say that she obtains thereby the full remission of her sins Gen. 17.14 The uncircumcised Man-childe whose flesh of his fore-skin is not circumcised that Soul shall be cut off from his people But Circumcision was not more necessary to the Israelites than Baptism to the Christians therfore c. ¶ See S. Aug. lib. 1. de peccat merit remiss c. 30. ep 90.91 S. Leo. epist 80. ad Episcop Campaniae S. Irenaeus l. 3. c. 19. S. Cyp. l. 3. ep 8 ad Fidum XXXVIII That the Sacrament of Confirmation is not necessary nor to be used COntrary to the expresse words of their own Bible Act. 8.14 Peter and John prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost for as yet he was fallen upon none of them only they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Then laid they their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost Thus the holy Ghost is given in Confirmation which was not given in Baptism how then is it not necessary nor to be used Hebr. 6.1 Therefore leaving the principles of the Doctrine of Christ let us go on unto perfection not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of Faith towards God of the Doctrine of Baptisme and of laying on of hands Confirmation is here called one of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ and a foundation of repentance How then not necessary nor to be used ¶ See the Fathers that affirm the same Tertul. lib. de Resur carnis S. Pacianus lib. de Baptismo S. Ambr. lib. de Sacram. S. Hierom. contra Lucifer And lastly S. Cypr. lib. 2. epist 1. speaking both of baptism and confirmation saith That they may be sanctified and be the sons of God if they be born in both Sacraments XXXIX That the bread of the Supper of our Lord was but a figure or remembrance of the body of Christ received by faith and not his true and very body COntrary both to the expresse words and truth of their own Bible Luke 22.15 With desire I have desired to eat this passeover with you before I suffer Now to refer these words to a figurative eating onely by Faith were most absurd for we cannot say that Jesus Christ could receive or eat himself in this sense sith all Divinity forbids us to admit Faith in the Son of God Therefore that Pasche which he so greatly desired to eat with his disciples before he suffered was the Pasche of his own true body Luke 22.16 For I say unto you I will not any more drink of the fruit of the vine until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God Words of wonderfull force and which cannot be understood figuratively no more than the former it being a thing as clear as the Sun that of material bread and drink there is no use at all above in Heaven John 6.51 I am the living bread which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever And the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Beza is very angry when we ask him If the bread that came down from Heaven be living or life-giving bread He willingly grants us the latter but cannot endure to hear tell of the former and therefore translateth life-giving instead of living But this is absurd for the Sun is life-giving but is not living and being granted to be living what else is it but his body And note withall that thus our Lord spake of this blessed bread before he gave it Matth. 26.26 Take eat this is my body And Luke 22.19 This is my body which is given for you What I pray can be spoken more plain Notwithstanding they will needs maintain and affirm that what he gave and they received was nothing else but bare bread Note also that our Lord spake this at the very giving thereof 1 Cor. 10.16 The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ And 1 Cor. 11. he addeth He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body Thus both before our Lord gave it at the very giving of it and his Apostles and Disciples after he had given it unto them and they to others all of them call it expresly our Lords B●dy Finally against their true and reall receiving of Christ by Faith I say Either the Soul ascendeth to Heaven there to feed on Christ by faith which Calvin confesseth or else Christ descendeth to earth to feed the same Not the first

Joel 2.12 Matth. 6.16 Matth. 9.15.29 Toby 12.8 Luke 2.37 Act. 14.22 2 Corinth 11.37 2 Cor. 6.5 Num. 30.14.1 Tim. 4.3 ¶ And the Fathers S. Ignat. ad Philip S. Basil orat de jejunio S. Chrysost orat in sanct Lavacrum hom 1. in Gen. S. Ambr. ser 4. S Hier. in cap. 18. Isa and many others XLVI That Jesus Christ descended not into hell nor delivered thence the souls of the Fathers COntrary to the express words of their own Bible Ephes 4.8 When he ascended up on high he led Captivity captive in their margent or a multitude of captives and gave gifts unto men Now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth These freed Captives to be the souls of the glorified no man in his right wits will say nor the souls of the damned for so the devils should be brought again into heaven therefore they were the souls of the Fathers which Christ delivered out of Limbus Acts 20.27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption These very words S. Aug. applieth to the proof of a third place and saith Who but an infidell will deny Christ to have descended into hell Epist 99. ad Exod. 1 Pet. 3.18.19 Being put to death in the flesh but quickned by the spirit by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison Now to understand by the word prison heaven there is no sense since it is called the seat of God and not the prison of God To understand it of the wicked Calvin himself opposeth this opinion and maintains that S. Peter speaks of the good who were known from the dayes of Noah And hereto that this doctrine destroieth an article of our Creed Therefore Christ descended into hell Heb. 11.38.39.40 And those all having obtained a good report through faith received not the promise to wit of heaven God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect to wit in their perfect and compleat glory Whence it follows necessary that they must needs grant another place distinct as well from the Heaven of the saved as from the Hell of the damned wherein these holy souls were detained Mat. 12.40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the Whales belly so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth But how I pray is this Figure fulfilled if Christ were not as many days and nights in the heart of the earth as Jonas was who was not in the whales belly in body only but also in soul Whence it followeth that either Christs holy soul was three days and three nights in the heart of the earth as well as his body or that this place of Scripture is either false or unfulfilled Which were most absurd to affirm Matth. 27.52.53 And the graves were opened and many bodies of Saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared unto many Understood by S. Ignatius Bishop of Antioch of Limbus Patrum writing to the Citizens of Trallis thus many arose with our Lord for the Scripture saith that many of the bodies that slep arose with our Lord. He descended alone returned with a multitude Zach. 9.11 As for thee also by the bloud of thy Covenant I have sent we read let forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water Both S. Hier and S. Cyril understand this pit to be meant of Limbus Patrum And with very great reason for how absurd were it to say that the damned have their share in the bloud of the Covenant Or that they are set forth of their infernal pit Or that they may be said to be thy prisoners that is Christ but rather the prisoners of the devils Yea where I pray to speak properly hath Christ had any prisoners at all which he hath let forth if not out of this place Therefore either Christ let forth prisoners out of Limbus Patrum or this place likewise as the former is either false or not yet fulfilled Like unto this is that of 1. Samuel 2.6 The Lord killeth and maketh alive he bringeth down to the grave we read hell and bringeth up we read back again See how plain and conform the faith of that old Church was and is to this of ours bringeth down to hell or bring-back again which hardly in any clear sense can be averred if Limbus Patrum be denied As for the word grave which they erroneously have added in stead of Hell to diminish the force of so plain a place why do they not as well foist the same into their Creed in stead of Hell as here they have done and say Was crucified dead an buried he descended into the grave Who doth not see this absurdity See more Osee 6.3 Psal 16.10 2 Pet. 3 19. Zach. 9.11 Rom. 10.6 Eccl. 24 45. Psal 23.7 Gen. 37.35 ¶ See also the Fathers that affirms the same S. Hier. in 4. and Ephes S. Greg. lib. 13. Moral cap. 20. S. Aug. in Psal 37. vers 1. The place begins Futurum est enim c. XLVII That there is no Purgatory fire or other prison wherein sins may be satisfied for after this life COntrary to the expresse words of their own Bible 1 Cor. 3.13.25 The fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is If any mans work shall be burnt he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire S. Augustine writing upon the 37. Psal and drawing these very words of the Apostle into his discourse saith Because it is said he himself shall be safe that fire is therefore condemned Yea verily though safe by fire yet that fire shall be more grievous than whotsoever a man can suffer in his life Thus he Therefore there is a Purgatory fire wherein sins may be satisfied for after this life John 11.22 But I know that even now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God God will give it thee S. Martha the sister of S. Ma. Magdalen believed that our Lord whom then she held only for a holy man or Prophet and not for the Son of God could obtain of God something profitable to her brother Lazarus who was deceased For having said Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not been dead she presently added But I know that even now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God God will give it thee Which speech she could never have used in any good sense if she had not learned this doctrine of the Synagogue who offered sacrifices alms and prayers for the departed and unless she had known and believed that the dead might be holpen by the piety of the living as Cardinal Allen learnedly concludeth in his Treatise of Purgatory Acts 2.14 Whom God hath raised up losing the sorrows of hell In which words two things